Dive into the world Jesus and his first followers actually lived in. This premiere episode lays the foundation for the entire series by exploring the backdrop for the religious texts that shaped 1st-century Jewish life — the scriptures Jesus knew, quoted, and fulfilled.

Discover why literacy rates were low (only 3–10% could read), yet scriptural knowledge was remarkably widespread through synagogue readings, oral memorization, and rhythmic Hebrew poetry designed to be remembered and debated.

Travel through a sweeping biblical and world timeline from King David to the turbulent Roman occupation, and meet the five major Jewish groups of Jesus’ day:

- Temple-based Sadducees (the collaborating elite)

- Middle-class Pharisees (teachers of everyday piety)

- Apocalyptic Essenes (desert separatists behind many Dead Sea Scrolls)

- Cosmopolitan Hellenistic Jews (allegorical thinkers who influenced early Christianity)

- Rural Pragmatists (the Galilean peasants, fishermen, and taxpayers who formed the core of Jesus’ audience)

Learn which books were considered sacred (Torah, Prophets, Writings) and which popular “commentary” texts — like Enoch, Jubilees, and Wisdom of Sirach — were widely read in synagogues yet later excluded from most canons. We also unpack the Septuagint (the Greek Bible Jesus and the apostles most likely heard and quoted) and how modern translations were developed.

Whether you’re a lifelong Bible reader or simply curious about the historical Jesus, this episode equips you to hear the scriptures and Jesus' gospel the way the original crowds did — against a rich, divided, and explosive religious backdrop.

Next episode: We begin the journey with Genesis and its first-century meaning.

Subscribe now and step back into the world that heard “The kingdom of God is at hand” for the very first time.